Transport secretary Chris Grayling has launched a withering attack on Network Rail after a major timetabling change caused disruption that impacted hundreds of thousands of commuters.
In a letter to MPs over the 'wholly unsatisfactory' service on Govia Thameslink Railway and Northern in previous weeks, he appeared to lay the blame squarely at Network Rail's door.
The transport secretary said: 'The way timetabling is done has to change. It is obvious that Network Rail's current timetabling system simply cannot cope with the volume of work that it has to complete and I have asked both the current leadership and the incoming chief executive, Andrew Haines, to ensure that this issue is addressed as a priority. Network Rail's current performance on this is simply unacceptable.
'Until this has been done I will insist on a gradual approach wherever possible to timetable change and not the significant changes we have seen this month.'
Mr Grayling also said that because Network Rail's System Operator division - responsible for ensuring all planned timetable changes do not conflict with the wider network - looked over the changes 'so late in the process' it created 'chaos for the train companies'.
He concluded that the delayed electrification process left fewer trains available for the increased services on the new timetable and this with poor planning resulted in the disruption.
GTR runs Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and the Gatwick Express.
Northern runs services across North of England from Newcastle to Nottingham and in Greater Manchester, Yorkshire, Cumbria and Merseyside.
Both services were badly affected on what is being called meltdown Monday - 21 May.
While passengers have been blaming the train operating companies, rail expert Christian Wolmar told Transport Network Mr Grayling has a point.
'I strongly suspect Network Rail has lost the skills and expertise to manage long-term programmes, and much of the basic rail skills. There is so much outsourcing and short-term hiring rather than building up a cohort of managers who are there to stay.
'For the electrification programme [some of which has had to be delayed indefinitely] they outsourced group stage 1 and 2, which is the feasibility and scoping process for the schemes. If you don't have the skills to see out the feasibility process you will get people riding roughshod over you.
'The vitriol in the sector felt towards Network Rail is quite astonishing. People in the industry always say Network Rail is inefficient.'
Mr Wolmar added that the Department for Transport does have some responsibility as well.
'They spend a lot of time man marking Network Rail, instead of looking at the whether the longer-term programme is for for purpose.'
A Network Rail spokesperson said: 'Late timetables have certainly not helped the recent events but there are many other factors across the industry involved and we are looking at understanding the root cause so that future changes can be implemented more smoothly.'
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